I don’t find the game to be unbalanced at all. The 2nd Edition rules, IMO, only improved the play balance.
With very serious and experienced A&A players, the first 4 - 7 turns are basically scripted. There are slight deviations given the current state of the game – but on the whole you can expect pretty much the same thing.
By turn 5 - 7 the playing field should be, for the most part, even. From there on out, victory will be decided largely by proper purchasing/economics and savvy tactical play.
A couple of basic tips to improve your play:
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Do not rely on luck or gambit-oriented strategies. While luck can win games, it can’t win consistently. You should only use average die rolls as a guideline for determining the feasibility of any attack or defend.
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Purchase Infantry. It is the single-most cost effective piece within the game. You absolutely get the most bang-for-your-buck with infantry. Infantry will overcome any cost-relative force, on its own, ALL THE TIME w/o exception. You need it on the attack as sluff (to keep your expensive pieces alive) and you absolutely need it to maintain formidable defensive fronts. A few examples:
Player A has $30. Player B has $30. Player A purchases 6 tanks. Player B purchases 10 Infantry.
Player A attacks Player B. Player B, on average, will win this fight 90% of the time. Player B’s replacement costs, on average, will run about $15. Player A’s replacement cost will be, on average, $29. End result: Player A’s infantry has achieved an economic and tactical victory.
Now let’s assume that Player B attacks Player A. Player B’s infantry will STILL win this fight roughly 73% of the time. Player B’s replacement costs will be approx. $18 and Player A’s replacement costs will be approx. $26. End result: Player A’s infantry has achieved an economic and tactical victory.
Obviously infantry alone cannot win games (it needs to be supplemented with appropriate attack pieces), but it DEFINITELY won’t hurt.
In the end, I find A&A to be very balanced. In fact, one of its major flaws is that it’s TOO balanced… a SINGLE MISTAKE by either side could spell its doom (though it might take 2 - 4 turns for it to come to fruition).
Out,
Volstag